Finally did it again. Since nobody could get out of their warm blankets and drive down with me to the dam, I did it alone.

It was off on sat afternoon to Chandigarh, slept in a cheap hotel ther and then drove to the dam in the morning. I started fishing at 8.30 am and shivering in that morning breeze I was thinking maybe the other blokes were right and I should have stayed in bed too.

But I was there!

While making the first cast i remembered all the things I had read, been told a million times and been made to believe.

1. It was too cold to be on the waters edge with a nice lil storm getting ready to piss on me.
2. Fish don't bite in the cold.
3. the fish are deep down and sluggish.
4. Slow retrieves are the way to go.

So I did it the right way. I cast out and waited for the lure to sink.... then started the retrieve at stall speed. And then I did it again. And again.

Somewhere aroung the 4 millionth cast Sandeep, the boat guy, walked over and started the regular 'it's too cold chat'. This distracted me and I slipped into my regular cast wait a few seconds and retrieve at a comfortable speed. And Wham! I was hit. A short fight later I met a nice mahseer. Not one of the big daddies but he did look like he had an elder sister.

So I started cranking up a bit. I did not let the lure sink too much. I prayed it would get colder (it did). And i thanked God that fish don't read or get too involved with our debates.

So what did 17hrs of driving alone and 7 hours of fishing get me?

6 Mahseer from 4kgs to 1.5kgs (+/- 10% for standing in the freezing rain)

Hey Pal this is the reason you are nick named Tiger . I knew if any one could have done it it would be you. Keep it going you fishaholic . Some very nice picture too ,Really looking forward to go fishing with you next time I am in Delhi. pal
cheers

Have sent you an Pm as these lures are a friend's secret and I have been sworn to secrecy. The ones that i can tell you about - My old silver mullet 4inch husky jerk retrieved at around 5 feet got a bout 6 hits. Hooked up twice but I think the hooks were too big.

I switched to a countdown, self painted in gold and green, and it got one fish and a few hits. Again the hooks were too big as I had changed them sometime ago. (was hoping to catch whales those days)

caught, kissed and released my quota for the day ! ouncing back to delhi tomorrow! in cal day after... need to find them charai stores for the over grown rohu & morakhi here! weight 25 to 30 lbs.!!! pound for poud they'll pt up a heck of a fight!!! But at the end of the day, nothing beets the sheer orgasmic delight of hooking a big mahseer!Feeling that bite on the lure... good show man! wish i could have joned you!

Great going Ken,
It is real nice to get bite when you least expect it. You have proven my point that no one except God knows when the fish will start biting. No logic or science applies here. Incidentally I caught my first mahaseer way back, almost 12 years ago, from Hathnikund when it was freezing cold. Nice report and great pictures. I know how hard it is to hold a fish for photograph when your hands are numb from the cold. I am sorry that I was not able to meet you in my last trip to Delhi. See you some other time. I am looking forward to go fishing with you some day. Keep it up and congratulation for a very nice day of fishing.

Yup you are right. It is always a pleasure getting a bite when you least expect it.

Having grown up in the hills above Doon I remember catching fish while I froze my butt off. sometimes it was too cold to even wade into the water. Most of these trips were actually shoots with a bit of fishing thrown in.

Waiting to go fishing with you. Who knows I might just fly down to mumbai for the 28th to 30th salties meet.

How hot it is really does not matter. Though the ideal temp is a day high of about 30 with it being around 15 in the night. Once the lows reach single digits the fish sink deeper. SamSondhi's little wrist sonar showed us fish at 40 ft plus. (Jigging would have worked if we had tried).

The real action is in May, when the soles of your boots melt on the rocks. On these scorchers I have seen schools of mahseer corralling chilwa. In the morning it reaches such a frenzy that chased chilwa actually jump on to the banks.

It has started warming up here. The tackle bag is out. Reels and rods are being cleaned. Lines are to be changed. And I am ready to go!!!

I have seen schools of mahseer corralling chilwa. In the morning it reaches such a frenzy that chased chilwa actually jump on to the banks.

Have seen mullets do this when salties and dolphins are after them. The things is that dolphins actually beach them selves halfway and pick up the spoils. (just like the killer whales do when going after seals)

Have seen mullets do this when salties and dolphins are after them. The things is that dolphins actually beach them selves halfway and pick up the spoils. (just like the killer whales do when going after seals)[/quote]

Yup! saw that on Discovery. The amazing thing with the Dolphins is that it is a taught method. regular Dolphins with no experience can't do it. But pods teach their young and pass on skills.

Will try and get some pictures of this at the dam. the problem is that when this happens I always reach for my rod not the camera.

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